Falcon Flight
by leapylion3
Summary: What happened to Han, Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO during that long flight to Bespin?
1. Prologue

Leia sat alone in the cockpit, desperately trying to get a certain scruffy-looking scoundrel out of her head. And the taste of his lips.

His sarcastic remarks, his constant teasing, his dry sense of humour, and his arrogance annoyed the hell out of her. Yet his lopsided grin, his laugh, his confidence and his color-changing eyes made her heart melt. She was confused; the young princess had never experienced anything like this.

Despite all of her battles with her heart, conscience, and senses, and no matter how many times she tried to deny it, Leia knew one thing for sure: the nerf-herder had already gained a special place in her heart. And he would always be there.

* * *

><p><em>Just another twist<em>, Han thought to himself, trying to tighten a stubborn bolt in the gun turrets. It didn't help very much that the gravity in the turrets was a little less than the rest of the Corellian freighter.

_Almost there_, he thought, giving it one last twist. "Son of a Sith…" Solo muttered, staring daggers at the blasted bolt. "Chewie!" He shouted.

[What is it now?] The Wookie rumbled.

"Get in here!" Solo yelled impatiently.

Eight feet of brown fur appeared in the turrets seconds later. [Yes?]

Han shoved the wrench into the Wookie's paw, and nodded toward the bolt. "You. Fix. Bolt. _Now_,"

Chewbacca chuckled. [The mighty Han Solo can't tighten a damn bolt? Ah, Han, I'm never gonna let you live this one down,] He began to fiddle with the bolt.

Instead of saying a snappy remark, Solo stormed out of the small room, letting Chewie win this round. _Just you wait_, Han thought angrily, _one day, Chewie, you'll wake up to find Wynni next to you. You'll enjoy that, won't you, pal?_

The smuggler decided to go relax in the cockpit. He was two feet away from the door, when he realized that 'Her Highness' was in there. He stifled a groan. Han hated fighting with her. It stung as he realized she never fought with Luke.

_Well Solo, _he thought reluctantly, _might as well try and fix things_. He palmed the entry pad and the door slid open.


	2. Chapter 1: Han

**Chapter One**

**Han**

I enter the cockpit and take a seat next to Leia. She seems oblivious to my presence. Curse her pride. I open my mouth to talk, but no sounds come out. My mouth goes dry, and I feel myself go pale. Here she is, the bossiest, stubborn, high-maintenance girl I've ever met. Yet, I know that she's also the smartest, fearless and most beautiful. And I completely screwed up.

_Tell her how you feel! _A voice in my head screams. I stifle a snort. _Yeah, and have her laugh in my face? No thanks. _

Wait, but what about our encounter in the circuitry bay? I thought we patched things up. I mean, she kissed back.

"One kiss doesn't fix everything, Solo," She says dully, breaking the silence, as if reading my mind. She continues to stare blankly forward, her teeth tightly clenched, and eyes hollow. This Leia…it's not even Leia. It's the Rebel leader, the princess, filled with nothing but anger.

"It should," I grunt, silently cursing myself for the snide remark. I shift awkwardly in my chair, thinking of something to say.

Finally, she turns to look at me, her gaze hard, emotionless. "Captain, one kiss does not let me forget all the trouble you put me through the past three years,"

I raise my eyebrows at her, putting my hands on my chest. "Me? Caused _you _trouble?" I stutter, using that innocent/hurt tone I know she hates. "I don't think I'm the only one, Your Worshipfulness. Does the garbage compacter ring a bell?"

"I saved your sorry behind back then, Solo," Leia jabs a delicate finger at my chest, "Would you rather have been shot by those Stormtroopers?"

"I think I'd rather be shot than become…a lot thinner, you could say," I grin.

The princess surprises me by grabbing my blaster from my holster. She shoves the butt against my temple. "I can make that happen," She says seductively into my ear.

I let a chuckle escape. "You wouldn't," I don't say the '_because the way you feel about me'_ part, but I know she knows it's implied.

"Try me, flyboy," The princess snarls, and I wince as she presses it harder against my temple.

_Fine, I'll play along. _"Let's not be too hasty," I begin, trying to hold back my sarcasm. I let out a sigh of defeat after making her wait for a few moments. "Alright, what would fix things between us?"

Her face pales, obviously shocked; I know that she expected a tease or sarcastic remark. Hell, I was even expecting myself to say one.

Leia drops the blaster on the floor, backing away, and it lands on the floor with a soft bang. "An apology," She croaks, more towards the floor than to me.

"I'm sorry," I say, surprised at my sincerity.

The princess swallows and nods her head, still looking at the floor. "I'm going to bed," She whispers, and my hearts breaks as I realize she's trying to hold back tears. "Goodnight, Han,"

And just like that…she's gone.

"Sweet dreams, Leia," I call, the sound echoing in the empty cockpit. Gods, why does she always leave me like this?

I'll talk to her tomorrow. I swear I will.

Well, if she plans to cooperate.

* * *

><p>I enter my quarters several hours later, after working on the control system with Chewie. <em>Stupid hunk of junk…<em>

I sit on my bunk and pull off my boots, tossing them aside. I'm about to take off my shirt, but I catch a glimpse of the sleeping princess.

_Gods_, she's beautiful. And she looks so peaceful in her sleep. All of the hardness and bitterness in her eyes and face…gone. She's even more beautiful tonight, clutching the sheets up to her chin, a relaxed expression on her face, her hair splayed all over the pillow.

I walk up to her and kneel before her, gently stroking her cheek, I hear her mutter something in her sleep. I can't make it out, but she repeats it, this time much clearer.

"My Han…"

I smile softly, and kiss her forehead. "My Leia…"


	3. Chapter 2: Leia

**Chapter Two**

**Leia**

I open my eyes, and almost groan when I realize it's not even morning yet. Well, as close to morning as it gets in the middle of cold, dark space. Cold, dark…and alone. My face scrunches up when I remember as rude comment Han made awhile back, somewhere along the lines of my heart resembling vacuum.

Speaking of Han, where is that scoundrel? I sit up and my eyes scan the dark room. I spot him, lying in his bunk on the other side of the cabin. I smile as I watch him sleep. He looks so much younger, more vulnerable, innocent.

I realize how thirsty I am. Kicking off the sheets, I tie my robe around my waist and walk as silently as I possibly can out of the bunkroom. His breathing shallows as I pass by him. _Don't wake up_, I plead silently, palming the door open.

I make it to the galley without waking Solo up. I release the breath I didn't realize I was holding. Opening the cooling unit, the first things I spot is a twelve-pack of Corellian beer and a bottle of whiskey. How typical of him. _Have fun flying the ship hung-over. Just don't plan on getting me drunk, or you'll regret it._

I pull out a beaker of juice and take a swig. Yuck, what the hell _is _this stuff? I wouldn't be surprised if it's coolant. Defeated, I put the beaker back into the cooling unit and trudge back to the bunkroom. At least my thirst is gone. Too bad it's replaced by an almost unbearable fire.

I step into the bunkroom, and- to my horror-I hear a groggy voice, "Leia? You up?"

"Just went to get a drink," I whisper, climbing into my bunk. "Now go back to sleep,"

"As you wish, Your Highnessness," Great. Even when he's half-asleep, he still has the nerve and energy to call me that.

"I thought we were past the name calling," I protest, pulling the sheets up to my neck.

"Hey, it's me," I _know _that he's giving me that stupid lopsided smile.

"Fine. G'night, _nerf-herder_," I retort. I hear him chuckle, and I groan inwardly, covering my face with my pillow. This is gonna be one _long _flight to Bespin.

* * *

><p>I hum along to the song playing from the speakers. I had nothing better to do this morning, so I dug through Han's piles of junk and found a few good tapes. The soft, romantic tune echoes throughout the cabin, the quiet song surprisingly loud in the otherwise silent room.<p>

"Hey, where'd you find these?" I jump when I hear Han's voice.

"Gods, don't sneak up on me like that!" I scold, groaning when a big grin appears on his face.

"Sorry, Your Holiness," He teases, then nods towards the small pile of tapes. "Where'd you find these?" He repeats.

"In the smuggling compartments," I explain, pausing the song, "I also cleaned up a bit down there. Did you know there's actually a _floor _under all that junk?"

He nods. "I guess I should clean the ship more often,"

"That must be the idea of the year!" I snide.

Han ignores it. "You know that song you were listening to?" I nod. "It's my favourite," He gets this far-away look in his eyes; the song must bring back a lot of memories. I know he's not ready to tell me yet.

"It's mine, too," I admit with a small smile.

He grins lopsidedly at me, making my heart melt. "Yeah?"

"Yeah,"

Han turns on the speakers, and the song restarts. "Dance with me." He smiles and grabs my hand. I reluctantly step toward him, and we begin to dance. Well, mostly moving around in a circle. He softly sings along, and I join in, causing his face to break into a wide grin. I grin back, knowing I made his smile reappear.

_I give her all my love, that's all I do,_

_And if you saw my love, you'd love her too,_

_I love her._

"You have a nice voice," I tell him, "You should sing more often,"

"Thanks, but no."

_She gives me everything, and tenderly,_

_The kiss my lover brings, she brings to me,_

_And I love her. _

"I never heard you sing before," Han says.

"So?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

He smirks. "It sounds nice. You actually sound happy for once,"

I give him a funny look. "I'm not sure whether I should take that as I compliment or as an insult,"

_Bright are the stars that shine, dark is the sky,_

_I know this love of mine, could never die,_

_And I love her. _

The song eventually finishes, and part of me wishes that it didn't. We linger in each other's arms for a moment longer, but the cowardly part of me eventually makes me pull away from him. We stand facing each other, and no one says anything for what seems like eternity. It's as if it's only Han and I- no Rebellion, no Empire, no Bespin…

"Thank you…for the dance," I manage to get out. I offer him a small, weak smile.

"It was nice," Han agrees, locking eyes with me.

I give him a quick peck on the lips before exiting the room. I'm slightly surprised by the fact that he didn't stop me from leaving.

Why do things between us have to be so complicated?


	4. Chapter 3: Han

**Chapter Three**

**Han**

"Hey Captain," I swivel my seat around to face Leia, who's clad in her snowsuit, with the exception of her hair hanging down over her shoulders, and her vest is opened, revealing her long sleeved shirt under it.

"Hey," I reply stupidly, realizing this is the first time I've seen her with her hair down.

She sits down in the co-pilot's seat and gives me a funny look. "Why'd you lock yourself in here? It's been six hours."

"I...I had nothing better to do," I admit sheepishly.

Leia doesn't say anything for a few minutes; nor do I. After a while, she finally says, "You really like this ship, huh?"

"She's helped me get through some tough situations," I agree, smiling at the princess.

"I really thought it was a piece of junk when I first saw it," She says, thinking back to the first time we met on the Death Star.

"It's a her. Not an it," I flash her my signature lopsided grin.

"Excuse me?"

I laugh. "You call a ship a _her_, not an _it_,"

"Oh," She blushes and looks away. "Why is that?"

I shrug. "That's just the way it is,"

"You mean the way _she _is," I look up at her and find her grinning at me. I grin back, happy that Leia's in a good mood today. "C'mon- you locked yourself up in here for six hours already. Come get something to eat; Chewie made supper," She stands up and grabs my arm.

"_Great_," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "Chewie's cooking. Hopefully I don't find a Wookie hair in it this time,"

"Hey," She teases, dragging me out of the cockpit, "It can't be as bad as my cooking."

* * *

><p>It turns out his cooking wasn't as bad as Leia's.<p>

It was _worse_.

Obviously, the big Wook thought it was good, but he eats just about anything. I remember Leia's face going pale after the first bite, and how many glasses of water she drank. Even_ I_ had a hard time eating it. I think he did this on purpose. Probably just threw the entire contents of the cooling unit into a pot and cooked it.

Chewbacca ended up having three servings, while Leia and I barely managed to finish our first. He ate all of them within a matter of minutes, left the dining room, leaving Leia and I alone.

I'm the first to speak. "That was absolutely horrendous," I grimace, shoving the plate away from me.

"I think that was even worse than my cooking," Leia agrees, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Maybe we should just leave the job to Goldenrod from now on,"

"Good idea," She says, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "So what are you gonna do now? Lock yourself back up in the cockpit?"

"I wasn't thinking doing anything special…Unless you have something in mind?" I say in a suggestive tone.

The princess rolls her and snorts, "Rogue,"

I laugh, when a sudden thought comes to mind. "How about I teach you how to play sabacc?"

"Okay…" She begins, her expression guarded, "But we have nothing to bet," I open my mouth to speak, but she cuts me off, saying, "And don't you dare say strip sabacc,"

I grin. Strip sabacc with Leia…that would be _nice_.

"Be right back," I get out of my seat and kiss Leia's forehead.

I come back a couple minutes with a sabacc deck in my hand. I drop it on the table. "So, here's how you play…"

* * *

><p>"Idiot's Array," Leia says smugly, placing her cards on the table, "I win,"<p>

My jaw drops, probably inflating Her Highness' ego even more. "But…I…" I stutter, unable to form words.

"That Lando must be an even worse Sabacc player than you are," She laughs, "Either that, or you cheated to get the _Falcon_,"

The game had been rather long- probably a couple of hours. I was certain I was going to win. Damn, if I'd have known she was that good…

I put on my best Sabacc face. "Beginner's luck. Rematch,"

She laughs again, running a hand through her hair. "Maybe tomorrow, Hotshot. I'm going to bed," Leia gets up and gives me a light kiss on the lips. "'Night Captain,"

"'Night Leia."


	5. Chapter 4: Leia

**Chapter Four**

**Leia**

My theory: practically all of the women in the Alliance would simply drag the Captain to bed; it would be the perfect opportunity. And I doubt he would refuse. But I'm probably the only one who would try desperately to make sure he sees the minimal amount of me.

I just proved that my theory's right.

"Oh…Leia, I'm so sorry…" He stammers, clearly as embarrassed as I am, if not more. I feel myself blushing madly, trying to cover myself up. It's not that I'm naked; I'm in my corset and underwear, but I still don't like to…flaunt it, I guess you can say.

"No, no, it's my fault; I should have locked the door," Which it was. I always lock the door when I'm changing- _especially_ when sharing living space with Corellian smugglers for several weeks- but it must have slipped my mind.

I'm not an expert at romance, but I think that if he kisses you in the circuitry bay and flirts with you very often, he's got a thing for you. I'm still wondering why. I mean, I don't show any skin- example above - , I'm not very outgoing- Ice Princess, anyone? -, and I have as much sex appeal as a baby nerf.

I can't understand Wookie very well, but I can pick up a few words here and there. I once heard Chewbacca tell Threepio that he's surprised with Han's so-called 'attraction' towards me; he's usually into women who are quote 'loose', unquote. Gee, thanks for the lift, Chewie.

"Uh, I…I'll just go," Han says awkwardly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

I'm about to agree, but something completely different comes out of my mouth; "No, stay. Talk to me," I sit on the edge of the bed, mentally scolding myself for not telling him to leave.

"O-okay…" He gives me a funny look and sits on the other bunk. Keeping a safe distance, I guess._ Probably so he won't try anything funny…_

"This is unlike you," The smuggler comments after a couple minutes of silence.

"I guess so," I agree. "I just…I dunno. I guess I want to get to know you better,"

He smirks. "Why's that?"

"We got off to a…rough start,"

"That's for sure," He snorts.

I ignore his comment and continue talking, "And I was thinking; shouldn't we try and play nice?"

"Look Princess, I'm fine with 'playing nice'," He air-quotes, "But I ain't gonna get involved in this big share fest,"

"Can't we just talk?" I ask, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

"What do you wanna know?" He asks sceptically, knowing full well that I just gave him that sweet, innocent look to get what I want. He's known me long enough to figure out my tricks.

I pounce right away. "Why did you kiss me in the circuitry bay?"

He looks like an ysalimiri about to get hit by a speeder going at full speed. "Why are you asking me this?"

"Just wondering," I twirl my hair, acting as charming as possible. When he doesn't respond, I sigh. "I know you called me the Ice Princess, Han. And I heard of your little 'encounters' with the women on base over the years. You can get any woman you want, you even know it. So, all I'm asking is, why me?"

He stares at me seriously for a few moments, before breaking out into a wide grin. "If I can get any woman I want, doesn't that mean I can get you?"

My jaw drops. After I regain my composure, I say, "No it does not. I'm not that…"

"Easy?" He offers, still grinning lopsidedly.

"No!" I sputter, "I mean, no I'm not easy, but I wasn't going to say that!" I throw a pillow at him.

He dodges. "So why'd you kiss Luke?" He challenges, shifting his position on his bunk to get closer to me.

I give him a weak smile. "Truth?"

Solo rolls his eyes. "No, a lie," He says sarcastically, "Yes, of course the truth!"

"I wanted to make you jealous," I look away, feeling my face heat up again.

"Why would you do that?" He asks, using that tone parents use with their kids after they admit to doing something wrong.

"Why'd you kiss me?" I counter, coming back to the original point of this discussion.

"Truth?" He smirks.

"Of course," I say, a small smile on my lips.

"I wanted to know how you felt about me," He admits, staring intensely into my eyes. He bounces off his bunk and lands on mine. Even when we're both sitting down, he still manages to tower over me.

"And how do you think I feel about you?" I let out a shuddering breath, feeling my hands starting to shake.

He smirks, putting his hands over mine to stop the shaking. He brings his forehead down to touch mine. "Why do you always shake when I'm about to kiss you?"

"The anticipation, I guess," I laugh weakly. He responds by touching his lips to mine. I hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears, and I pray that he doesn't hear it. I deepen the kiss, my lips on fire.

His lips move from my mouth to my cheek, to my forehead, then delicately pressing his lips against my temple. "Leia…" He breathes, the sound slightly muffled by my hair. I shiver. I love it when he says my name.

"Han?" I say, the noise sounding faint and desperate in my ears. I clutch onto his arms, never wanting to let go.

He kisses my lips once more before leaning back to meet my gaze. "Yeah?"


	6. Chapter 5: Han

**Chapter Five:**

**Han**

"Tell me," she says, her breath coming out raggedly, "how did you get this?" The princess stares at my chin intensely, caressing the scar with her thumb.

"Knife fight," I explain, the vivid memory entering my mind. "I was twenty-two when it happened; I was on a smuggling run for Jabba. I ran into…an old friend of mine," I grimace, silently cursing my cousin Thracken Sal-Solo. "If Chewie hadn't been there, I probably wouldn't be here,"

"He's saved your hide more than once, huh?" She teases, smiling knowingly.

"More than I can count," I agree, flashing a lopsided grin her way.

She responds by tenderly kissing the scar, and I wonder how I got so lucky. What did I do to deserve her? Leia brushes my hair from my forehead, and points to the small white scar above my eyebrow. "How about this one?"

"I got drunk. I ended up walking into many walls," I admit sheepishly, earning a few giggles from Leia.

"How typical," She murmurs, kissing that scar, too. She plays with my hair a little bit, running it through her hands. "And what about your heart? Ever got scarred there?" Leia has this habit of asking too many questions; I suppose it's one of the side-effects of being a politician.

"Many times, Princess," I smile wryly, "Many times,"

"By a woman?" She insists.

"There was one. She's long gone now," I tell her, remembering Bria for a few moments. _No, Leia's here now. You care about Leia, not Bria. _

"I'm sorry," The Princess sympathizes.

"It's alright," I assure her. "What about you?" The look she gives me tells me I shouldn't have asked her that. "Right, Alderaan…" I mumble, immediately regretting it as I catch Leia trying to hold back tears. "No, I mean, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…_Gods_, I'm so stupid,"

"No, Han, it's alright. I know you didn't mean it in that way," She swipes at her eyes, erasing all evidence she even came close to tears.

"But, um, like you asked me…did a man ever break your heart?" I ask awkwardly, feeling guilty about bringing Alderaan up.

"No," Leia shakes her head, "You'll be the first," At first I think she's teasing me, but her eyes are brimmed with tears, her voice barely a whisper. "I know you're going to leave right after Bespin," I open my mouth to deny it, but she continues, "Han, you don't have to lie to me. It's gonna be over. Why do you think I didn't want to get involved with you?"

"Leia, you know I can come back after-"

"After what, Han? I know you think you're going to die. You don't have to promise me anything you can't keep,"

"But I _can _keep it! Leia, I-"

"Han, please," She begs, "Don't lie. As much as it kills me to see you go, I'll have to live with it,"

"Leia, don't talk like that. I _will _come back. For you. And the Kid,"

"What if Luke and I came with you?"

"No. It's too dangerous,"

"Han, you'd have better chances if we came with you-"

"Leia. No. I won't put you two in that danger," I tell her quietly, but firmly, my face set in a hard mask.

"But Han, I…I think…" She lowers her voice, "I think I love you."


	7. Chapter 6: Leia

**Chapter Six**

**Leia**

I can't believe what I just said. Did I seriously just confess my love for _Han Solo_? And on top that, did I actually say it _to_ _his_ _face?_ Oh, _Gods_, what the _hell_ did I just do? And now he's just sitting there, staring at me! What if he doesn't love me back? _Oh Gods, oh Gods, oh Gods…_

I stare at him, hoping he'll say _something_. I shouldn't have told him I love him! It was too soon; I should have waited for the right time. During times like these, I wish he was able to read my mind. There's so much I need to say to him, yet I'm too afraid.

"I know,"

"What?" I ask, not because I didn't hear him, but because of the shock. Did he just say _he knows_?

"Leia, I-"

"Han, I know you'd do a lot of things, but I never would have thought you'd abuse my feelings for you like this! I…don't know what to say!"

"But-" His speech is cut off by my hand connects with his face, with a surprisingly powerful force.

I start to see the mark of my hand forming on his cheek. "Han, I…" I'm at a loss for words. All because of this stupid smuggler! "I can't do this," I dash to the 'fresher, hoping to forget all of this. Tears spill down my face. I lock the door behind me and crash to the floor.

After what seems like hours, I hear a knock at the door. "Leia? You still in there?"

"Go away," I grumble childishly.

"C'mon, Leia, let me in," He sighs, exasperation clear as day in his voice.

"I don't wanna talk to you!" I cry, a lump growing in my throat. Han Solo is the _last _person I wanna see or talk to right now.

"You're talking to me right now," I hear the smile in his voice, which angers me even further.

I jump up and palm the door open. "What do you want, Solo?" I try to sound confident, but it obviously doesn't work. I draw myself up to my full height and try to look him in the eyes without faltering.

"You,"

I lose my composure for a second, but I regain it quickly; hopefully he doesn't notice.

Wait, since when do I care what he thinks? "Excuse me?"

"I think you heard me, Leia," The smuggler murmured, taking my hands in his larger ones. He begins to massage my hands, like he did in the circuitry bay. It seems like that was such a long time ago, so many lightyears away. Yet here we are, on the same trip to Bespin, in the same piece of junk, but somehow…it's different. We've come a long way since escaping Echo Base, but I don't know if it's for the better or worse.

Han stares intently into my eyes, trying to read my expressions, to guess my emotions. He leans forward, his scent intoxicating me. One hand runs down the side of my body, encircling my waist, while he lays the other on the small of my back, pulling me forward. His lips are millimetres from mine, but I decide to play hard to get.

"You know," I begin, "I don't really think I should be sticking around people like you,"

Han chuckles softly. "Why not, Princess?"

"You might be a bad influence on me,"

"But I'm a nice man. I already told you," His lips come crashing down on mine, erasing all my chances of coming up with a response. My heartbeat pounds in my ears, and I desperately wish he can't hear it. My arms wrap around his neck, my hands buried in his shaggy hair. I pull him closer to me, deepening the kiss, never wanting it to end.

He presses me up against the wall, and his lips move from mine to my jaw line, down to my neck and back to my lips. I gasp when I feel his fingers reaching for the ties on the back of my corset. I'm really going to do this, aren't I? And who would have thought it'd be with _Solo_.

"Han, I love-"

"Captain Solo!"


	8. Chapter 7: Han

**Chapter Seven**

**Han**

That damned droid! I ought to _space_ that stupid piece of scrap metal! He'd be lucky if all I'd do was space him! Just when Leia and I were…well, you know! You read it! Just when that happened, the stupid protocol droid has to interrupt!

I slowly move away from the princess, each step slower than the last. I open the door, standing face to face- did he even have a face? - with Goldenrod. "What. Do. You. Want?" I growl, giving the droid my deadliest glare.

"Captain Solo, Chewbacca sent me to inform you and Mistress Leia that Imperials are beginning to attack-"

"What?" Leia gapes. "Why would Imperials be in the Outer Rim?"

"They were tracking us," I sidle past Threepio, "Sweetheart, go to the cockpit and tell me what's going out there. I'll go to the turrets-"

"I'm coming with you," The princess declares, following me.

I turn around and give her a serious look. "No. Leia, if you get hurt, I don't want to-"

"You don't think I can handle myself? C'mon, Solo, I'm good in a fight and you know it." She argues, rising to her full one hundred-fifty centimetres, looking me straight in the eyes.

"Fine," I say coolly, "Be careful,"

Leia stands on her toes and pecks me on the cheek. "You too, hotshot."

"Solo to Chewie; you hear me? Over,"

[Yeah, yeah, I hear you, Solo. Just shut up, shoot, and I'll tell you if there are any fighters on your tail,] He growls, my ego deflating after Leia's giggle rings through my headset. She didn't understand everything the Wookie said, but she was usually able to get a general sense of his speech.

"Organa to Solo- stop worrying about that ego of yours; there's some TIE fighters coming in soon at-"

"3 o'clock, I know, I see 'em," I grimace, pushing the laser triggers. A shot hits the fighter, dead center. The small ship explodes into thousands of pieces of debris. "Got one!"

"Same here," Leia says; determination apparent in her voice.

[Little Princess, watch out!] Chewbacca yelps, swerving the freighter hard to the left.

"What the-?" was the last thing I heard from Leia before her comlink went dead. I smell…smoke. Wait, _smoke_?

"Chewie, I think she's hurt," I tell him, my hands shaking at the thought of Leia injured…or worse. _Dead. _I shoot the remaining two TIEs, quickly get out of my restraints and run to Leia's turret. The ends of her hair are singed, smoke coming out of the control board, and the princess sitting there, and shocked as I've ever seen her. "Leia, oh Gods, I'll get you some bacta-"

Han, I'm fine," She assures me, right before going into a coughing fit. I lift her into my arms, despite her many protests in between the coughing fits. "Solo, put me down!"

I drop her onto the med-bunk. "There; happy?" She responds by coughing up blood onto the bed sheets.

"Gods, Leia, are you okay-?"

"Of course I'm not okay, Solo! I got shot, I'm coughing up blood and…" She drifts off as I apply some bacta to her shoulder, which had gotten badly burnt. She winces in pain at the burning of the medication.

"And what?" I murmur, rubbing her shoulders to soothe the pain.

"Hm?"

"You drifted off," I nibble on her earlobe.

"What? Oh, it must have been nothing…"

"Leia?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."


	9. Chapter 8: Leia

**Chapter Eight**

**Leia**

I wake up wrapped in a pair of tan, strong, muscular arms, the smell of aftershave, among many other scents, filling my nose. It was a smell I had become so accustomed to in the past three years. It blended and intertwined with the woodsy, citrusy smell of the bedsheets. I could only identify that aroma with one man in the galaxy; Han Solo.

I wriggle in his arms, not as a sign of discomfort, but to let him know I was awake. His breathing became less heavy as he became conscious, shifting onto his side to face me. "Morning, beautiful," the smuggler rumbles, brushing a stray lock of hair from my face. I feel my cheeks turn a slight red, and Han grins in response.

I playfully shove him. "Morning, flyboy,"

"Hey, I call you beautiful and you respond with flyboy?" His expression turns into one of mock-hurt; in other words, mocking _me_.

"It's a term of endearment," I deadpan, tapping his nose with my finger. Han grins and plants a light kiss on my lips. "C'mon, hotshot, let's get some breakfast," I start to get up when I feel a searing pain shoot through my shoulder. "Dammit," I mutter, checking out the burn mark. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" He asks, his face a mask of concern. I shake my head in response. He rubs his forehead and tells me that we had been attacked by TIEs the night before, and that I ended up getting shot.

"You honestly don't remember any of this?" Han questions after a few minutes of silence, his voice low and full of worry.

"Han, I wouldn't lie to you," I reply, gently stroking his cheek.

He sighs. "Okay, well, better get some more bacta on your shoulder; it's already starting to heal a bit," Solo gets off the bed and grabs a bottle of bacta off the side table. He sits back down behind me and pops the cap. "This might burn a little bit…" He murmurs in my ear, carefully applying the gel. I hiss in pain as the cold bacta treats my burn. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I turn around to look at him. "Thank you," I lean in and softly kiss him, relishing the wonderful feeling of being wrapped in his arms, his lips grazing against mine. Han deepens the kiss, parting my mouth with his tongue, his arms traveling up my legs.

I pull away for air. "I can't, Han," I gasp. "I…just can't,"

"Leia, I'm sorry-"

"Aren't I mad at you?"

"What?" His eyebrows knit together, confusion etched on his face.

"Last night. The last thing I remember was being mad at you," I explain, moving a bit farther away from the smuggler.

"So you don't remember that I said…" He trails off, most likely thinking that it's not a safe subject.

"Don't remember what?" I press, staring him straight in the eyes.

He shakes his head and stands up, running a hand through his hair. "Never mind. Want breakfast?"

* * *

><p>I walk into the cockpit, in hopes of finding Han. He turns in his chair to look up at me, an indifferent expression etched onto his face. "I'm bored," I tell him.<p>

"Did you finish the inventory?"

"A couple of hours ago, yes,"

"So what were you doing until now?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

"Found some of your old data tapes," I fall into Chewie's huge seat. "I didn't know you were into romance novels," I tease.

"Damn, you found those?" He rubs his hands over his face, trying to hide the redness that started to appear.

"Looks like Han Solo isn't such a tough guy after all," I laugh, enjoying this rare moment to see the smuggler embarrassed.

"You said you were bored?" Han quickly changes the subject.

"Very," I reply, ending the teasing.

"How about you cook dinner tonight?" He suggests, steepling his fingers.

"Um, I'm not so sure about that…" I mutter, pulling my legs under me.

"Oh, c'mon, you're not _that_ bad of a cook," He pats my knee.

I shake my head and smile at him. "Don't lie to me, Han," I stand up and start to head to the galley.

"I'll help," He tells me.

"Yeah?"

"Sure," He flashes a lopsided grin in my direction, and I feel my heart skip a beat. Not that I'd ever tell him that.

* * *

><p>I open the cooling unit and pull out a carton of eggs, milk and butter, then I venture to the cabinets. Let's see….cocoa, sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla essence…Perfect. "You know we're supposed to be making <em>supper<em>, right? Not dessert," He grabs a couple of bowls from the dishwasher.

"Oh, lighten up, will you? This'll be fun!"

"For a girl, maybe…" He mutters, tossing me a whisk.

"I heard that, you know."

* * *

><p>"Did you pre-heat the oven?" I ask, stirring the gooey, chocolaty mix.<p>

"How could I forget, with you telling me every two minutes?" Han remarks. "Pass me the carton of eggs, will you? I'll start putting some stuff away," He turns around and puts some dishes in the cabinets. I smirk appears on my face as I get an idea. I take an egg out of the carton and start tossing it from one hand to the other. Han looks at me over his shoulder. "Please don't tell me you're going to do what I think you are,"

"You mean this?" I ask sweetly, reaching on my toes and cracking the egg over his head. Some of the yolk drips onto his nose and chin as I burst out laughing.

"You're gonna regret you did that, Leia Organa," He stifles laughter, but I realize he has something in store for me. And I'm worried about that.


	10. Chapter 9: Han

**Chapter Nine**

**Han**

"You shouldn't be all that mad; I heard eggs are great for hair," the princess says lamely, trying to keep her composure in check. "What're you gonna do about it?"

"This," I grab the open bag of flour and thrust it forward, Her Highness covered in white powder. "Hey, Princess, now the rest of you matches your wardrobe!" I laugh at her.

"That's it, Solo, you made it personal!" She shrieks, grabbing the beaker of water and drenches me with it. "You told me you like to swim!" Her Highness cackles, tossing me a dish rag. "How do you like it now?"

"Food fight!" I howl, grabbing a half-eating muffin on Leia's plate from breakfast. I throw it and it hits her square in the face. She squeals and ducks behind the table, taking the bowl of fruit with her. Leia repeatedly hits me with grapes while I search for something else to throw at her. I find the perfect item.

"Leia, come out," I call sweetly.

"Fine," She grumbles and gets up, taking the bowl of fruit with her. "You know, we should really clean all this up-" Her sentence abruptly stops when a wave of milk hits her, drenching Her Holiness. "Solo!" Leia screeches, "You…you…._bastard_!" I stare at her in shock for a few seconds before I burst out laughing. "What are you laughing at?"

"You're so cute when you're mad!" I wheeze, unable to stop laughing at her. I see her cheeks turn red, the color spreading to her neck. She catches me completely off guard; Leia takes the cake pan filled with the chocolate cake mix and dumps it on my head.

"You have been beaten!" She laughs, swiping a finger over my nose and brings it to her mouth, licking the chocolate from it.

"Let me give you a congratulatory kiss," I pucker my lips, some chocolate dripping onto the floor.

She shoves me away, "Maybe later, flyboy. When you're not covered in bantha dung," Leia sticks her tongue out and skips to the 'fresher, flour and milk showing her trail.

"It just looks like that!" I protest stupidly, and she responds by laughing at me. Again.

"Captain Solo, what happened here?" C-3PO yelps from behind me.

"When did you get here?" I turn around to look at the golden droid.

"When Mistress Leia left-"

"Just clean it up, Goldenrod. And make dinner, while you're at it,"

I walk away just in time to hear him say, "Of course, Captain Solo."

After dinner, I find Leia and Chewie in the living area, on their datapads; Leia was doing work, no doubt, and Chewie was watching one of his old Wookie soap operas. He's really just an oversized teddy bear. _Should have blamed the romance novels on him earlier today…_

Leia looks adorable, her long hair held in two high pigtails on each side of her head, wearing her leggings- white, of course- that were under her snowsuit, and one of my old black shirts, which is obviously too big for her, as it reveals her entire left shoulder. I never thought that I'd associate Leia with being 'adorable'. She seems too…tough for that, I suppose.

I sit down next to her, but she seems completely oblivious to my presence, absorbed in her work. I pull one of her pigtails to get her attention, "Hey,"

She looks up at me and smiles, ruffling my hair. "Hey yourself," The princess places her hands on the back of my neck and pulls me close, my hands encircling her small waist. "So do I get that kiss for winning?"

"You tell me," I murmur, brushing my lips with hers.

I forget that Chewbacca is in the same room as us, until he moans, [Oh, brother. I'm outta here.]

"Chewie!" Leia cries, "Come back! You promised we'd talk!"

[Later, little princess,] the big Wook promises. She replies by throwing a couch cushion at him.

"Bye Chewie!" She calls after him, but he already shut the door to the cockpit.

"What do ya wanna do now?" I ask her, kissing her nose.

"Got any holos?"


	11. Chapter 10: Leia

**Chapter Ten**

**Leia**

I gasp at the sight of the holovid box. It had been one of my favourites as a teenager, and it's still one of them today. I hadn't seen it in forever; I never had any of the time. Too busy with the Rebellion and politics. _And I didn't want to be reminded of Alderaan_…

I whip my head around to look at Han, who's sitting lazily on the couch. I could tell he's slightly disappointed, due to the fact that I wanted to watch a holo and not engage in…_other _activities. "Han, can we watch this one?" I hold it up and smile sweetly at him.

He takes one glance at the holovid and groans. "Romeo and Juliet? Really?"

I pout and give him the puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

Han sighs and motions me over. I beam and plant a kiss on his cheek before I pop the holo into the reader. I take a seat next to the smuggler and wrap my arms around his waist. He throws his arms over my shoulders, so I naturally snuggle up to him, breathing in his masculine scent.

"You know I'm only watching this for you, right?" He murmurs in my ear.

"Shh," I swat his stomach, "It's starting."

"See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!" I recite quietly, perfectly in time with Romeo's speech. "O that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek." I snuggle closer to Han, waiting in anticipation for Juliet to appear onscreen.

Han chuckles and moves his arm down to rest on my waist. "Sweetheart, we only need one person to say the lines; let Romeo do his job."

[Leia!] Chewbacca calls, [Your turn to watch the cockpit!]

"Gimme a few more minutes!" I shout back, "The holo's almost over!"

[Fine,] The Wookie grumbles reluctantly. Gotta love Chewie…

"_Come bitter conduct, come unsav'ry guide,_ _thou desp'rate pilot, now at once run on_ _the dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark._ _Here's to my love!" _Romeo drinks the poison, and begins to stagger, his face turning bright red in the process. "_O true apothecary, thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss, I die."_

I begin to cry, but no way am I letting Han see me in this fragile state. I rub at my eyes with my sleeves and continue to watch the holo through teary eyes. I clutch tightly onto Han for comfort, desperately trying not to cry.

Juliet wakes up and begins her final soliloquy. _"What's here? A cup clos'd in my true love's hand! Poison I see hath been his timeless end. Oh churl, drunk all and left no friendly drop to help me after? I will kiss thy lips, haply some poison yet doth hang on them to make me die with a restorative. Thy lips are warm._

"_Yea noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger, this is thy sheath- there rust and let me die." _I let out a sob as Juliet stabs herself, and Han pulls me into his warm embrace as the holo comes to a close.

"I'm a mess!" I wail, fiercely rubbing at my eyes. "I'm going to the cockpit."

I hear a deep masculine voice coming from behind me in the otherwise silent cockpit. "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the East and Leia is the sun." I turn to face Solo, who's trying to woo me with Shakespeare. _Solo? Wooing someone? _That's a first, I bet. He takes my hand and stares intensely into my eyes, making me blush furiously. He lowers his voice and continues with the speech, "Arise fair Sun and kill the envious Moon, who is already sick and pale with grief that thou her maid art far more fair than she. Be not her maid, since she is envious, her vestal liv'ry is but sick and green, and none but fools do wear it, cast it off." He leans in and tilts my chin up with his free hand to close the space between our lips.

"You're such a softie." I murmur against his lips.

He pulls away in mock-horror. "Han Solo? A softie? _Never_!"


	12. Chapter 11: Han

**Chapter Eleven **

**Han**

"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?" I turn around to see Leia standing in the doorway with her hand on her jutted out hip. I'm still a bit pissed at her for making me watch Romeo and Juliet yesterday, _and _because she called me a softie, so when she showed up with that smug expression on her face, I was more than slightly annoyed.

I roll my eyes and return to tinkering with the environmental system. "Are you gonna hold that against me forever?"

She laughs and saunters over to me. "Why wouldn't I?" I groan in response, making her laugh some more. The princess kneels down next to me and pokes my nose. "It's not _my _fault you're going soft."

"So, what, I do the play once in high school, and you consider that going soft?" I smile at Leia sardonically.

"For Han Solo, yes," She grins in delight. "I'll be right back, I _have _to ask Chewie if he has that tape!" Her Holiness darts for the galley, where the big Wook always is when off duty from watching the cockpit.

"Oh no, you don't!" I shout, ripping off my gloves and tossing them aside. I run after the princess, hoping she hasn't already reached Chewbacca. The truth is, I don't even know if he has the tape or not, but if he does, there's bound to be more where that came from. Even if the Wookie doesn't have that specific one, I'm sure he has some other, more humiliating tapes of me.

I reach the galley, which is surprisingly empty. I check the cockpit; deserted. I pull out my comlink, but no one answers. I try the intercom, but all I get is some static in response. _Where the hell did they go? _

I decide to check the bunkroom. It's pitch black. I curse as I stump my toe on something; the corner of my bed, I think. "That's real nice, guys!" I scowl, balancing on one foot to rub my injured toe. "Just decide to desert me on my own ship, huh?"

All of a sudden, the lights flicker on, and I find Leia and Chewie grinning at me. Even Threepio is present. "Happy birthday!" They shout, holding up a small chocolate cake.

"It's…it's my birthday and I forgot?" I gape at them after staring at them in awe for a few moments.

The princess smiles at me. "You're thirty-two today," She wrinkles her nose. "Ten years older than me. Ew, you're old."

I grin and pull her into a hug, Chewbacca pulling the cake away just in time. "Always the joker, huh, Princess?"

[Cut the crap and let's eat the cake! I'm starving!] Chewie roars, holding up the dessert.

I smile genuinely, something I haven't done in what seems like forever. "Sounds like a plan."

"I can't believe you guys remembered," I shake my head in amazement, scooping up the last bite of cake with my fork. Chewie had gone to the cockpit for his watch, and Threepio had powered down a little awhile ago. It seemed Leia and I ended up being left alone a lot more often lately.

"I'm surprised _you _forgot; you're so egoistical." The princess laughs, poking at the cake with her fork.

"Do I get a present?"

"We made you a cake; isn't that enough?" She raises an eyebrow.

"I was thinking of something else," I waggle my eyebrows suggestively.

She laughs and throws her last bite of cake at me. "You're incorrigible, Solo,"

I laugh with her. "You love that about me."

She sighs. "I do, I really do." Leia looks at me straight in the eyes. "Promise me you'll never change?"

"I won't. I promise."


	13. Chapter 12: Leia

**Chapter Twelve**

**Leia**

"Hey sweetheart," Han calls lovingly from behind me. I didn't think he'd find me here, but then again, he knows me unlike anyone else does. I hate him sometimes for that.

"Oh, uh, hi," I stutter, fumbling to close the comm. It falls on the floor, right in front of Han. Just my luck. "Dammit." I mutter under my breath, scrambling to pick it up.

He beats me to it. He picks it up and asks slowly, "Leia, what are you doing with this?"

"N-nothing." I stammer, suddenly taking a great interest in the floor.

"Leia, you _know _we can't send out signals; the Imperials would find us if-"

"I just wanted to talk to Luke, okay?" I blurt out, a wave of humiliation washing over me. "I know it was really stupid of me, but I just miss him _so _much, and I hope he's alright-" Han cuts me off by kissing me passionately. I pull away just enough so I can look in his eyes. "What was that for?"

He laughs, "To get you to stop babbling!"

I smile weakly. "Maybe I should babble more often."

The smuggler smiles lopsidedly and takes a seat next to me on the bunk. "And as for Luke…Look, I'm sure he's fine. This _is _Luke we're talking about," He absentmindedly strokes my hair. "He's a Jedi."

I let out a breath of laughter. "I thought you didn't believe in all that hocus-pocus." I lean into his embrace, enjoying the feel of his hands running through my hair.

He sighs. "I don't know anymore. I've seen Luke do some pretty unbelievable things…maybe there is some all-powerful Force, after all…" I laugh at the foolishness of this situation. Solo looks at me quizzically. "What?"

"You, me, all this," I shake my head, beginning to pace the length of the room. I laugh darkly at the situation. "Look at us, Han! A smuggler and a princess of a dead planet, discussing the ways of the Force!"

"Stranger things have happened, sweetheart." He raises an eyebrow at me. I sigh in defeat and collapse onto the bunk. I lie down and look up at Han with questioning eyes. I don't know what to say, but he relieves me of the duty to reply. "Do you love him?"

"Yes…no…I don't know!" I bury my face in my hands to cover my reddening cheeks. Why did he always have to ask questions that, no matter how I answer, I'd get embarrassed?

Han lies down next to me and closes his eyes. I roll over and rest my head on his shoulder. It was rare that we had these quiet, peaceful moments without anyone to interrupt. I admit, sometimes it would be one of us who'd spoil the calm.

The pirate breaks the silence, opening one eye to look at me. "Do you love me?"

"Sometimes." I concede, my response muffled by his shoulder.

I feel the vibrations as he chuckles. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, _sometimes _you're sweet, but other times you're goddamn annoying!" I laugh, swatting his stomach. He begins to laugh along with me. After the laughter dies down, I ask him quietly, "Do you love me?"

He answers so softly, I barely hear him. "Yes."

I shoot up, totally shocked. "You…you love me?" I gape at him.

He slowly gets up and leans on his elbows. "You really don't remember anything about the night you got shot, do you?"

I shake my head. "What happened? With you and me, I mean."

"I told you I loved you, and you dozed off a little while later."

"That…that's it?"

"Well what did you expect?" He bolts upright, his eyes boring into mine.

I find it slightly hard to concentrate while looking into those eyes. Those big, color-changing eyes, which are a light brown at the moment, almost hazel. I try to focus on something else, but my eyes keep managing to land on some other appealing, tempting features of his; his slightly crooked nose, his full lips, the scar on his chin…

"Leia?" Han calls my name, bringing me back to reality.

I focus on his eyes again. "Um, what did I expect?" I echo softly, my eyebrows furrowing in concentration. I think about it for a second; would Han really try anything if- _when_- I was drugged? It was a possibility. "That maybe…maybe you'd try something."

"What would make you think that?"

"Well, you are pretty roguish," I offer a small smile, trying to lighten the mood.

He grins and tilts my chin up. "You think?"

"_Everyone _thinks." I correct him, my smile broadening.

The captain smiles, satisfied, and leans back on his elbows once more. "Good. My reputation is still intact,"

I laugh and shake my head. "Only until I tell everyone on base that you're a Shakespeare loving, singing, love-sick _softie_!"

He gasps in mock-horror. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, but I would." I tease; right before Han pounces on me and begins to fiercely tickle my ribs. I giggle, gasping and panting for air, all while trying to get the smuggler off of me. "Stop it!" I wheeze in between giggles, kicking his shins repeatedly.

"Only if you promise not to tell!"

"I promise!" I sigh in relief as he gets off of me and runs a hand through his hair.

[Solo!] Chewbacca calls from the cargo hold, [A little help here!]

"Duty calls," Han quickly kisses my lips, using the line I had used on him a year or so back when he first tried to kiss me.

He heads for the doorway but stops when I call his name. "Han?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you," I tell him, testing out how it sounds. The words sounded slightly strange escaping my mouth, probably because I had never told anyone that, let alone a _man_.

He smiles lopsidedly, making my heart melt and my desire for him even more powerful. "Love ya, too, sweetheart."


	14. Chapter 13: Han

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Han**

[You and the princess seem to be getting along well,] Chewbacca comments nonchalantly, lifting a heavy box to the other side of the cargo hold.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask suspiciously, crossing my arms over my chest. When he doesn't respond, I raise my eyebrow at him. "Chewie?"

He cocks his head and says innocently, [I don't know why you're so suspicious. I just thought that the two of you have grown really close on this trip…] The Wookie looks away quickly, intentionally avoiding my gaze.

"You mad I haven't been spending as much time with you?" I tease, sitting down on one of the many boxes.

[It…it's not that,] He shakes his large head sadly and sits down on a box across from me.

"So what is it?" I ask softly, staring at my best friend seriously. I hate to see him upset like this.

[Seeing you and the princess like this…it makes me think of Malla. I haven't seen her or our son in a long time, you know.]

"Chewie, I'm so sorry-"

[And after this, you're still planning on leaving her?] He looks up and stares intensely into my eyes. [I know you love her, Han. She's the best thing that's ever happened to you, for Sith sake! You shouldn't let her go.]

I swallow, my eyebrows furrowing. "You know I have to, Chewie."

Chewbacca stands up and heads for the door. [You know, Han,] He begins, stopping at the doorway. [You've done some pretty stupid things in the past, but this is by far the worst.]

"Well what do you want me to do?" I shout back, getting angry now. This is _not _his decision to make, and he can't change _my_ mind, either. He'll just have to deal with it.

[Look around, Solo!] The Wookie growls angrily. [Stop thinking of yourself for once! The Rebels need you, the kid needs you…the princess needs you.] We stare at each other in silence for a few moments, the tension so thick you could cut it with a viroblade. [Just think about staying, okay? For _them_.] He storms off, leaving me in a confused state of mind.

Maybe he's right. Maybe I _should _stay with them. I mean, I told Leia I love her…what am I gonna do, just leave after everything we've been through? _That was the plan, you damn fool_.

"Han? You still in here?" I hear Leia call softly from the other side of the door.

"Uh, yeah…yeah, I'm here…" I say absentmindedly, my mind racing.

She opens the door and waltzes in, taking a seat next to me. The princess ruffles my hair and asks quietly, "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just…thinking."

Leia bites her lip and studies me. "You're not going to stay, are you?"

I turn to face her, confusion etched on my face. "How did you-"

She smiles sadly, her eyes brimmed with tears. "I heard Chewie yelling at you from the other side of the ship."

"Listen, Leia, I'm sorry, and-"

"Its fine, Han. I understand. You have to go. I'll just try and…cope when you're gone, I suppose." She wipes away a few tears that escaped her eyes; I know she hates people to see her cry. Especially me.

"Leia, you'll be fine," I tell her lamely, taking her hands in mine. "You're strong, the strongest woman I know-"

"You don't know me!" She shrieks, bolting out of her seat, forcing me to release her hands. A flash of anger suddenly flickers in her eyes. "Everyone thinks they know me; but that's who I _want _them to know."

I push myself off the box, now towering over the petite princess. "_I _know you, Leia. For three years I have, unlike anyone else."

"Somehow I don't believe that." She turns to leave, but I grip her arm firmly, preventing her from escaping.

"I know that your favourite color is purple, but you wear white all the time because of Alderaan. I know that you'd rather be out on the battlefield fighting bravely instead of spending the rest of your life in the Senate. I know that you bite your nails when nervous, and-"

"When did I tell you that?" She sniffles, clearly baffled.

I smile affectionately and release her arm from my grip. "It's been three years, sweetheart."

"Three years or not, you're still going to leave,"

"Why do you have to bring that up all the time?" I glare at her, my anger suddenly back.

"Never mind, Han. Just take care of yourself when you're gone. Seems like you're best at that, anyway." And just like that, she's gone. _No, Leia, I'm not. I'm best at pushing away everything I love. _


	15. Chapter 14: Leia

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Leia**

_The girl ran as fast as she could, panting, adrenaline pumping through her veins. The terrain rapidly changed, from a forest, to a scorching desert, to snowy tundra, to a lava planet. It changed so rapidly the girl eventually stopped paying attention to her surroundings, and focused fully on running. She had no idea what she was running from, or whether it was gaining on her. She heard something calling out to her, the voice surrounding her, penetrating her. _

_The girl suddenly found herself in a small room, the voice pounding in her brain. It hurt her ears and her head, and no matter what she did, it wouldn't go away. The voice kept on calling her name, over and over again. "Leia, Leia, Leia…" _

"_Who are you?" The girl screamed, falling down to her knees. The voice continued repeating her name. "What do you want?" She began to cry, the pain almost unbearable. "I'll do anything, just make it stop!" _

_The apparition appeared so abruptly and out of nowhere, the girl didn't even know how to react. "Leia," It said once, so soft and calm. The girl felt as if she was looking in a mirror; the woman had dark brown flowing locks, and soft brown eyes were staring right at her. _

"_M-mother?" The girl stammered, reaching out to touch the apparition. The woman took her hand, holding it tightly. "Is it you?" The woman nodded in response. The girl smiled, finally feeling safe, warm, and loved. _

"_Leia, I just wanted to see you one time," Her mother began, releasing the grip she had on her daughter's hand. "One time, before I finally rest," _

"_But mother, I need you-" _

_The beautiful woman smiled sadly and shook her head. "You're a strong young woman, you don't need me," She reached out to touch the girl's face, "Look how gorgeous you are," She murmured, more to herself than anyone else. _

_Her daughter smiled weakly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I look like you," Padmé didn't respond. She faded away, like a hologram coming to a close. The girl lay down on the floor, praying she'd see her mother again. She didn't care that her mother told her different; she'd see her again. She had to. _

I wake up, my sheets soaked in sweat, tears streaming down my face, adding another damp layer to my skin. "Mother?" I choke out in between sobs. That dream…no, nightmare is more like it. It had seemed so _real_. And I wish it had never happened. I had done a good job of pretending that my mother's death was not a big deal, as if it hadn't ripped a chunk out of my heart. Out of my _life_. Memories come flooding back, and I suddenly miss my mother more than ever. I clutch the sheets so tightly, subconsciously thinking if I hold on, my mother won't be gone. But I know that's not true. She's gone, and nothing I do can change that.

So why does it still hurt so much?

"Mom…" I wail, my body racking with sobs. "Come back!" I hug my knees and try to stop my body from shaking so uncontrollably and violently.

"Leia?" A deep voice calls from the doorway. I squint in an effort to make out the blurry shape. Its Han, I'm sure of it. But ever since having that dream, I can't be too sure of anything.

"Han?" I sniffle, clutching the sheet tighter against my body.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" He asks, obviously concerned. I know I can't lie to him; he knows me more than anyone else. I respond by shaking my head furiously and letting out another pathetic wail. "Oh, Leia…" The smuggler murmurs, dashing towards me. He sits down on the bunk and takes me in his arms, whispering sweet nothings in my ear. "Do ya wanna talk about it?" He mumbles, kissing my forehead.

"Not really," I admit, letting out a shuddering breath. I bury my face in his chest, holding onto him with all the strength I can muster.

"When you're ready, lemme know. I'll be here," He assures me, rubbing my back soothingly.

"Stay with me," I command weakly, snuggling up to him.

"Of course, sweetheart," He promises, kissing the top of my head.

"Thank you," I breathe, nuzzling his neck. "I'm sorry. I'm so pathetic," I apologize lamely, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"Leia, don't apologize. I just want you to feel safe," Han says seriously, staring at me intensely.

The words are out of my mouth before I can actually think them through; "So don't leave me," My eyes well up with tears once more, my bottom lip trembling. _Dammit_. Why do I always make such a fool out of myself when around him?

"I…I'll try to stay," He vows, gently kissing my lips.

"Promise me," I plead, my voice sounding foreign in my ears. Much too…needy. And…in love, even. He nods his head, and pulls me in, kissing me fiercely. I never want to let him go, I realize.

"I don't want to leave you, Leia," He mutters against my lips.

I never thought I'd say the next words. Four simple words, but they hold so much meaning. A promise, really, pledging yourself to the other person for the rest of your life. Alderaanians thought of it as something sacred, something meant for a married couple. But I can't wait any longer; he might be leaving right after Bespin, and I'd know all my life that I could have had him. I could have been his. His princess, coincidentally enough. And he would have been mine. My rogue, my scoundrel, my prince, even. My _Han_.

"Make love to me."


	16. Chapter 15: Han

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Han**

I gather Leia in my arms, stroking her hair, sweat and exhaustion fighting for space on both of our bodies. I still couldn't believe the princess had asked for this. Not that I'm complaining. A new thought suddenly crosses my mind; does this mean I have to stay? This is the first time I've actually done this out of, well, _love_. The princess must expect me to stay after this. Everything suddenly seems so bittersweet. Maybe I shouldn't have done this. _We _shouldn't have done this.

No, that's crazy talk. We love each other. People who love each other do this. I can't help but wondering if she really loves me. What if she only did this to get me to stay? That damned Rebellion seems to come first in her life.

But then again, Alderaanians take this stuff very seriously, unlike us Corellians. I can't even count how many one night stands I've had, while this was Leia's first time. I smile to myself. An Alderaanian princess and a Corellian smuggler. What are the chances?

"You okay?" I rasp, holding her tighter against my body. "I didn't…I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She chuckles, stroking my bicep. "No…I didn't hurt you, did I?" The princess teases, the smile evident in her voice.

I laugh, a grin spreading across my face. "Of course not," A comfortable but lengthy silence ensues. All is quiet except for the sound of our breathing. I study her long, luscious hair splayed out on the pillows, sheets and our bodies.

"So this is what it's like, huh?" Leia murmurs, breaking the silence. She nuzzles my neck, the smell of her intoxicating me.

"What what's like?" I ask breathlessly, stroking her back, relishing the feel of her soft skin against mine.

"Being in love," She responds, placing a light kiss on my cheek.

"I guess so,"

"You've never been in love?" She presses. That's the only downside to being with Leia; she asks too many questions. And knowing her, if I don't answer or do what she wants, she'd sweet talk me into it. I suppose all politicians are like that. Leia just does it best.

"I might have," I respond. "I mean, there was this one girl, but…" I trail off, wondering if I should have just answered 'no'.

"Go on…" She insists, pushing herself up to lean on her elbow. The princess looks down at me with those big, brown eyes, and the way she smiles tells me she knows she has me. Hook, line, and sinker. "You told me this, but you never told me what her name was."

"Bria," I tell her. My face twists into a grimace, painful memories flooding back.

"Tharen?" She asks, her eyebrows knitting together.

"You know her?" I ask, and then I remember how she died. "Oh, yeah, she was in the Alliance, wasn't she?"

Leia nods her head. "She was a good fighter. Helped us get the Death Star plans."

I grin cockily. "Taught her everything she knows."

She sighs and falls back softly onto my chest. "Incorrigible, as always."

[I hope you know this means we have to stay,] Chewie walks up to me and leans against the control panel. Its afternoon now, and Leia decided that we should get to work instead of staying in bed all day. Trust me, I would have _loved _that, but you just can't argue with the princess.

"I know, I know," I grumble, trying desperately to fix the wires poking out of the sides of the board. "Wait, how do you know?" I look up at the Wook.

He chuckles, bending down to help me with the wires. [Wookies have a keen sense of smell, you know,] He teases, ripping out the the board.

I roll my eyes and sit back, letting the Wookie do some of the work. "You have fun with that; I'm going to find Leia." Chewie responds with a derisive snort and continues to work on the board. Sure, he annoys the hell outta me at times, but hey, we're family.

I walk into the bunkroom and find Leia lying on her- my- our?- bunk. She has a datapad in her hand; working, of course. She'll work anytime she has something on her mind. Or if she has nothing to do. So, essentially, she's almost always working. "Hey, sweetheart," I greet, coming to sit next to her on the small bunk.

"Hey," She replies absentmindedly, flashing me a faint smile before returning to her datapad. Just by the set of her jaw, I could tell something was wrong.

"You okay?" I ask, stroking her cheek. I run my eyes up and down her body, taking in the sight of her wearing one of my old shirts, a pair of panties peeking out from the bottom. I calculate how long it'll take to seduce her out of that.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," She mutters, focusing intensely on the datapad in front of her.

"You know you can tell me," I murmur, placing light kisses down her jaw line.

"Han-" She whispers shakily, her voice uncharacteristically nervous.

"Hm?" I ask, moving to her neck.

"Han, please," She pleads, trying to break free of my embrace.

"Leia, what's wrong?" I ask her seriously, staring at her straight in the eyes.

"We need to talk," Leia breathes, refusing to look in my eyes.

I climb off of her and sit on the chair across the room. "So talk,"

She breathes deeply, running her hands through her long, brown hair, still not looking me in the eyes. "Last night…last night was a mistake, Han."


	17. Chapter 16: Leia

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Leia**

"No, I _don't _have a landing permit!" Han snarls at the comm, his forehead creased in annoyance. "I'm _trying _to reach Lando Calrissian!" They respond with static, causing Chewie to moan quietly, obviously worried. The ship shudders and groans from some shots sent from the twin pod-cars flying beside us. "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute, lemme explain!" Solo shouts, his annoyance replaced with nervousness.

"Rather touchy, aren't they?" Threepio comments, more to himself than anyone else. Judging by the look Han gives me, it's safe to say he thinks they aren't the only ones. This past week had been _extremely _awkward between us; ever since the…'incident', we've barely spoken; we spent the past week trying to avoid each other. I hate it, and I'm sure he does, too, but I wasn't sure how to fix this. I'm _still _not sure how to fix this. Maybe we're just meant for fighting and bickering like we've done the past three years, not a relationship. Or maybe even nothing at all.

"I thought you knew this person," I spit, deciding to shield my hurt feelings with the only safe emotion I've known since Alderaan; anger.

Chewbacca growls at Han. "Well, that was a long time ago; I'm sure he's forgotten about that," The pilot answers lamely, pressing some buttons on the control panel.

"Permission granted," The comm voice tells us, "Land on platform three-two-seven."

"Thank you," Han sighs, exasperated. "Nothing to worry about," He tosses over his shoulder. "We go _way _back, Lando 'n me,"

An unsettling feeling appears in the pit of my stomach. Hoping I sound more convincing than I actually feel, I mutter back, "Who's worried?"

The Falcon lands an hour or so later on the small platform, the engines moaning and groaning. They could use a break, I suppose; three straight weeks flying with the sub-light engines. The hatch opens, the ramp lowering down to the ground. Han steps out first, followed by Chewie, with Threepio and me not far behind.

"Oh, no one to meet us," The protocol droid murmurs, gesturing to the large door several yards in front of us.

Something's fishy here, like we're being put in some kind of danger. I shake my head, my eyebrows furrowing. "I don't like this,"

"Well what _would_ ya like?" Han sneers, sidling up beside me.

"Well, they _did _let us land…" Threepio says quietly, slipping past me and Han.

"Look, don't worry," Solo assures me, his expression softening a bit. "Everything's gonna be fine. Trust me," Gods, I _hate _it when he says that. We all turn towards the sound of the opening door. Out comes a dark-skinned man, dressed from head to toe in fancy garments. His cloak flies out behind him, flapping in the cool breeze. Followed by several guards, I'd guess he's someone of importance. "See? My friend," Han murmurs. He walks up to Chewie and says something to him, inaudible to me over the sound of the wind. "Hey!" The smuggler greets him, walking up to the man with open arms.

"Why you slimy, double-crosser, no-good swindler," Lando, I assume, glares at Han. "You've got a lot of guts comin' here, after what _you _pulled." So much for a warm welcome. He takes a few slow steps toward the pilot, and…enfolds him in a hug? Didn't expect that one. His booming laughter echoes, relaxing me a bit. "How ya doin', you ol' pirate! So good to see ya!"

"He seems very friendly!" Threepio chirps, waddling forward, leaving me behind at the ship.

"Yes," I say suspiciously, "_Very _friendly," I follow the protocol droid.

"What are ya doin' here?" Lando grins, revealing a set of shiny white teeth.

Han points to his most prized possession. "Ah, repairs; I thought you could help me out,"

Lando's eyes narrowed. "What have you done to my ship?"

"_Your _ship?" Han gasps. "Hey, remember, you lost her to me, fair and square,"

Calrissian turns towards the Wookie, "And how you doin', Chewbacca? Still hanging 'round this loser?" Chewie growls something seemingly unpleasant at the gambler. Lando ignores his remark and catches sight of me, his eyes shining with glee. "Hello, what have we here?" He grins, turning up the charm. I hold back a retort. _Men_. He takes a couple steps towards me, much to Han's dismay. "Welcome; I'm Lando Calrissian. I'm the administrator of this facility. And who might you be?"

I look at Han out of the corner of my eye, then switch my gaze back to the baron. "Leia," I reply coolly.

"Welcome, Leia," He smiles and places a kiss on the back of my gloved hand. I flash a smile at Han, enjoying the spark of envy in his eyes.

"Alright, alright," Han intervenes, taking my hand from Lando's grip. He shakes his head at his friend, repressing a smile, "You old smoothie," I laugh and walk hand in hand with my scoundrel, grinning the whole time.

I slowly brush my hair, entranced by the view in front of me. Lando had provided us with a room in the classiest part of Cloud City, and with the best view, too. I watch as the sun begins to set, the cool night air sending chills down my back. The pink-orange glow of the sky is beyond beautiful; it reminds me of Alderaan.

I clutch the silky robe tighter against my body, enjoying the feel of the softness against my skin. There had been some lovely clothes and nightclothes laid out on the bed, courtesy of Lando. I still don't trust him, but I admit, I _am _enjoying the perks. I haven't experienced luxury for such a long time, so it's nice to enjoy it a bit. Although the strange feeling in my stomach is still there.

"Hey," I turn around and see Han, dressed only in boxers and a robe loosely tied around his waist. He looks so relaxed, unlike I've ever seen him before.

"Hi," I smile faintly. I want to tell him so much; that I'm sorry, that I want him to make love to me, that I'm hopelessly in love with him. Knowing my luck, it'll backfire. So I keep my mouth shut.

He walks up next to me and leans against the railing, staring at the shining stars above. He looks back to me, his eyes boring into mine. "You look beautiful,"

I look away, my hair coincidentally falling over my face to hide my blushing cheeks. "T-thanks," I mutter, my gaze focused on the floor. I exhale deeply, knowing I have to do this. I have to apologize. I want things back to normal, I _need _them back to normal. Or whatever 'normal' is now, anyway. "Look, Han, I'm _so _sorry about what happened. I-I don't know what I was thinking, if I was thinking at all-" He cuts me off by pulling me in and placing a searing kiss on my lips. I drop my hairbrush in the heat of the moment, glad it doesn't hit our feet. I pull away, staring into his eyes. "Han, I'm sorry. I love you, I do. I was just…" I trail off, lacking a word that describes my emotions.

"Scared?" He supplies, offering me a small, lopsided smile.

I smile back, embarrassed. "Extremely,"

"Why?"

I lower my voice to a whisper, all of my confidence gone. "What if I'm pregnant?" My hand instantly flies to my stomach. I have a habit of jumping to conclusions, but what if this is real? What would everyone else think? Han would probably be gone by then, and I'd be left with his child, _our _child.

"I'm safe," He assures me, cupping my cheek with his hand. Han looks at me, his eyes full of concern. "You okay?"

I bite my lip, a thousand thoughts running through my mind. "Han, I have a bad feeling about this place, you know that,"

He tenderly kisses my forehead. "Relax, Leia," His lips meet mine in a soft kiss. "Everything's gonna be alright,"

"What if this is our last night together?" I ask, genuinely worried for us. There's just something at the back of my mind, screaming that something isn't right.

He lifts me into his arms, pressing a kiss to my cheek. "Then we make the most out of it."


	18. Chapter 17: Han

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Han**

Cloud City's beautiful, that's for sure. I've never seen anything like it; the small sky city is so clean, classy, and just plain stunning. The pink-orange sun begins to rise, setting off a lovely, soft glow in the bedroom. I still have to get used to the short days here; only twelve hours a day. And if we're gonna be here for a while, I'd better start soon. I'm still on Hoth time.

Still, this rotation period is weird; I don't think I've ever been on a planet with such short days. Aren't you supposed to _sleep _for twelve hours? I've been here before, sure, but that was a long time ago. Four years. I know it doesn't sound that long, but hey, I've done a lot since then.

Leia wriggles in my arms, muttering something incomprehensible. I know she's worried about everything; us, the Alliance, Luke…Don't even get me started on the kid. The princess constantly thinks about whether he made it to the fleet alright; of _course _he did. He's a Jedi, for Kriff sake! As for the Alliance, even though she won't admit it, I know she thinks it'll fall apart without her, and I don't blame her. She's a great leader, she adjusts to her surroundings easily, especially since she had to grow up so quickly. I feel bad for my princess; she doesn't deserve this hard life she lives.

And then there's us. Of course she's worried about us, even _I'm_ worried, although I act calm and relaxed for her sake. I can't help but think that there's something terrible that's going to happen to us…Let's just hope my gut feeling is wrong this time.

"Morning, Han," Leia murmurs, dragging me out of my thoughts. She nuzzles my chest, getting into a more comfortable position.

"Morning, gorgeous," I kiss her temple and rub her back. "Sleep well?" She nods against my chest, her hair splayed over both of us. I run my fingers through her locks, twirling a few strands around my finger. Memories of last night come flooding back, bringing a smile to my face. We were just glad to have sorted everything out, that we were sure we loved one another again. I understood her worries; I'd be pretty damn scared if I found out I'd gotten her pregnant. I would stay, that's for sure, but I'm not sure if she knows that. Suddenly, an idea comes to mind. "Leia, get dressed,"

"Shut up," She whines, turning so her back is towards me. "I'm trying to sleep,"

"Leia, _please_?" I mimic her whiny, nasally tone. She responds by hitting me square in the face with a surprisingly hard pillow. "Ow!" My hand flies to my face, checking for any bumps or even blood. "C'mon, wake up!" I shake her, acting like a child.

"What do you want?" The princess groans, covering her face with one of the many pillows scattered on the bed.

"It's a surprise," I grin at her, removing the pillow from her face.

She narrows her eyes; if looks could kill, I'd be dead. "You know I hate surprises." When I fail to respond, she bolts up, clutching the pillow to her chest, looking more annoyed than ever. "Can you just tell me what you have planned?"

I shake my head, enjoying her reaction. "Nope," I grin lopsidedly, knowing she loves it when I do that.

"Bastard," She laughs, hitting me with the pillow again.

"Since when do princesses use such uncouth language?" I pout, feigning innocence, but it just earns me another smack to the head. "Will you stop doing that?"

"If you tell me!" Leia frowns, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So go get dressed!" I order, tossing the princess her robe. I can't help the smile on my face; she's adorable when she's angry.

"Fine," She grumbles, pulling the robe out of my hands and slipping it over her shoulders. "But your surprise _better _be worth it," She ties the robe at the waist and dons her slippers.

"Hey," I wink at her, "It's me."

"Solo, I can't believe you pressured _me_ to get ready, but _you're _still naked!" Leia gapes at me, her eyebrows furrowing in anger, but I notice a glint of humour in her brown eyes.

"It takes me five minutes to get ready," I protest, slipping on my boxers. "Unlike _you_; it's been, what, half an hour?"

"Because I like to look good," She teases, sitting next to me on the comfy bed. She twirls her hair, and bounces on the plush bed.

I shrug and pull on my trousers, "You always look good, anyway,"

Her cheeks turn a lovely faint pink, her mouth curving up into a small smile. "Why do always know what to say?"

"Because I know what you want to hear," I answer, poking her nose.

"So would you lie?" She challenges, a hint of laughter in her beautiful eyes.

"I never have to lie," I reply simply, tugging on my boots.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leia cocks her head to the side, an amused smile creeping onto her pretty face.

I look at her for what seems like the first time; I drink in the sight of her, wondering how I ended up with such a perfect woman. Her long brown hair is pinned up in the back in a simple bun, with an elaborate clip holding it all up, a couple of strands falling around her face. On her lips is a touch of pink lip gloss, and there's a hint of blue eye shadow across her eyelids. An ankle-length cobalt blue dress hugs her body in all the right spots. I notice a slit running up the side of either of her legs, stopping right at the knee. The princess looks absolutely stunning in the strapless dress. Although I _would _rather just see what's under the dress…

"Han?" She raises an eyebrow at me, abruptly bringing me back to reality. An amused grin spreads across her face; she obviously knows I was fantasizing about her.

"Yeah?" I sputter, trying to regain my composure. "Sorry, it's just…you're so beautiful,"

She laughs, her smile lighting up the whole room. "Can you just finish getting dressed? I wanna go already."


	19. Chapter 18: Leia

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Leia**

My fingers weave themselves with Han's, gripping his tightly. The Cloud City marketplace is rather small, but extremely crowded. I don't want to end up getting lost, which is entirely possible because of my size. Gods, I hate being small. With the hundreds, maybe even _thousands_, of people milling around the marketplace, it's a wonder how I manage to stay glued to Han's side. His surprise didn't end up being what I expected; he took me shopping. He told me I could buy anything I want, surprising me further. Sure, it's sweet, but I couldn't help but wonder whether he should keep the extra credits to pay off Jabba…

"Hey, you alright?" He asks me, squeezing my hand. He grins lopsidedly at me, making my heart flutter. I wonder if he knows the effect it has on me. Hell, he probably does; I love him, sure, but I have to admit, he can be conceited. At times. Okay, fine, most of the time, but he used to be much worse.

I should stop talking now.

"Fine, I guess," I squeeze his hand back, offering him a small smile. "It's just…I haven't done something like this since Alderaan," I twist my lips, my mind going back to the old days, when life was easy and peaceful. Before the Alliance, before the Death Star…before Han. "Do you ever think you're in the wrong place?"

"Where did that come from?" Han asks, letting out a seemingly uncomfortable chuckle. Maybe I shouldn't have asked that. His answer is probably yes; he should be off paying Jabba back, not watching over me like some bodyguard. I know I can get the answer out of him, but it'll take a lot of persuading, and perhaps, seduction. Good thing I'm a politician, although it annoys the hell out of him. 'Too many questions', he always complains. I smile in spite of myself; he can be so childish.

"Just came to mind," I reply simply, running a hand through my hair. I pull the clip out of my hair and stuff it in my handbag. My fingers try in a vain attempt to untangle the knots at the ends. I love having long hair, sure, but it can be a real big pain. "So do you?" I ask him again, biting my lip in anticipation. A part of me hopes his answer was no, so it would prove to me that he loves me. But the other part hopes it's yes, so I'd find out if he's lying about all of this or not. I internally scold myself; Han Solo is many things, but he's not a liar.

"In the wrong place, maybe," He muses, lips twisting in concentration. "Then again, I wouldn't have met the Kid…" He raises an eyebrow at me, a smug smile spreading across his face. "Or a bossy little princess,"

I fake a look of horror on my face and swat his stomach. "Little? _Bossy_?" He throws his head back with laughter, obviously enjoying my reaction. "Well then _I _wouldn't have met a cocky and conceited _pirate_!" I join in on the laughter. It's the first time in a long time since I'm feeling relaxed, as if there's no war going on, or a chance of losing Han.

"Yeah, but you love me," He smirks, his arms wrapping against my waist. He lightly kisses my lips, soft movements against my mouth.

"You love me, too, right?" I ask sheepishly, my cheeks heating up. I rest my hands on his biceps, enjoying the feel of his muscles under my skin.

"Of course I do," Han cups my chin and places another soft kiss on my lips. "C'mon," He tugs gently on my hand. "Let's go get some lunch,"

We found a quaint little tapcafé a couple blocks away in the quieter part of Cloud City. The small restaurant has an aura of comfort, relaxing me further. Maybe my hunch is wrong; maybe everything will be fine. Han'll drop me off at the fleet, he and Chewie will go to pay Jabba back, and then they'll come back. They have to.

I poke at my food with my fork, my appetite and good mood suddenly vanishing. What if they don't come back? I need Han in my life; he helped me get through everything. He made me fall in love with him, and I know he's the only one for me. Does he feel the same way? I know his reputation with women…am I just next in line on his list?

"Leia, you okay?" He asks, concern apparent in his deep voice. He reaches over and squeezes my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine. I remember back when he never called me Leia, only annoying nicknames; Your Highness, Princess, Your Worshipfulness…It was rare that he'd call me by my real name. I love how it sounds coming from his lips, like a song or a poem.

"You're not really coming back, are you?" I bite the inside of my cheek, straining to keep my composure. "Who are we trying to kid, Han?" My eyebrows furrow with anger; anger at myself, at him, at the whole damn galaxy. "A princess and a smuggler?"

"Leia, what the hell are you talking about?" He narrows his eyes in confusion, his tone becoming slightly angry. "I'm going to come back, I told you. I promised,"

"Doesn't mean you have to keep it," I counter, shoving my plate forward.

"But I _want_ to." He tells me seriously, staring straight in my eyes. I look away, trying to stop the tears from escaping. This is all gonna come to an end soon, I know. I don't want it to; as much as it hurts to admit it, he's the best thing that's ever happened to me.

"Han, everything I love dies," I breathe, my voice barely a whisper. "Why do you think I tried not to fall in love with you?" Shudders rack through my body, no matter how much I try to stop them.

"Leia, look at me," He urges quietly, squeezing my hand. I reluctantly draw my gaze back to his brown eyes, a thousand thoughts and emotions between us. The tension is so thick you can slice it with a viroblade. "I'm going to come back, no matter what it takes. Alright?" When I don't respond, he takes it as a signal to continue. "You're the only girl for me, if that's what you're worried about," He offers me a small lopsided smile, his eyes shining in the dim light. "Oh, that reminds me," Han stands up and stops behind me. "I have something for you," He whispers in my ear. I feel his hands push my hair to the side, his fingers lightly tracing my neck. I shiver at his touch, the room suddenly becoming very warm. He places a small kiss at the back of my neck, a small blue pendant appearing at the base of my throat.

"It's beautiful," I whisper, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. He wraps his arms around my shoulders, placing a kiss on my cheek.

"So are you," He murmurs against my skin. "I love you, Leia. Remember that."


	20. Chapter 19: Han

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Han**

"_Another _surprise?" Leia exclaims, trying to pry my hands off her eyes. The light evening breeze blows past us, sending her long locks in a wild frenzy. "Han Solo, do you ever stop?" She laughs, smoothing down her hair.

"For you, no," I tell her, kissing her cheek.

"Can you take your hands off my eyes, already?" She demands, unsuccessfully trying to hide her smile.

"As you wish, Your Highness," I move my hands from her eyes to her waist, pulling her against me. She leans into me, her back pressed against my chest. She gasps quietly at the beautiful sight in front of us; a small table with two chairs, overlooking Cloud City. "Best view in the house," I boast, leading her to the table. I pull out a chair for her, and she gladly sits down, flashing me a dazzling smile.

"Han, this is beautiful!" Leia gushes, a look of awe in her eyes. "You shouldn't have!" She looks down at the streets of the city, the lights adding a soft glow to her face.

"But I did," I offer her a wide, lopsided grin I know she finds irresistible. I gesture to the tray on the middle of the table. "Dessert, milady?" She lets out a snort of laughter. "What?" My eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"You," She giggles, shaking her head. "Look at you! You _are _soft!" The princess throws her head back, cackling. "I was right!"

"I am _not _soft!" I protest, my eyes widening.

"Whatever makes you sleep at night, hotshot," Her laughter dies down, pulling the dessert tray closer to her. "Okay, so, what's what?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that," I admit sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck. "Lando just ordered the best desserts for us,"

"Lando did this?" She raises an eyebrow at me, suddenly looking rather horrified.

"Um, yeah. Well, I asked him to do this for us…" My throat goes dry; did I just make a horrible mistake? "I mean, I know you don't like him, but-"

"Han, its fine," She assures me, reaching over and grabbing my hand. She squeezes it once, her expression softening. "It's lovely; thank you," She smiles at me, her eyes filled with love. I relax a little; I'm here with my girl, I love her, and she loves me. Everything is okay. No, better than okay. It's perfect.

"In that case…" I begin, stabbing the ice cream with my spoon. I pull it back and fling it at her; bulls eye. Hits her square on the nose, leaving a white spot as the rest of it slides down the rest of her face.

"Seriously, Solo?" She gapes at me, wiping her nose on a napkin. She takes a handful of the ice cream and tosses it at me, the dairy product landing right on my crotch.

"Kriff, that's cold!" I shout, trying to wipe it off my trousers. Leia explodes into a fit of laughter, almost falling out of her chair. She tosses a napkin at me, still laughing her ass off. "Well, sweetheart, you certainly have good aim," I mutter, tempted to shove her face into the bowl of ice cream.

"Why thank you, Captain Solo," Leia smiles sweetly, resting her chin against her palms. She bats her eyelashes, a wicked spark in her brown eyes. How did I manage to get stuck with her? Not that I'm complaining.

"Hey, Leia, check this out," I get out of my seat and saunter over to a stereo system. I press a couple of buttons before a song begins to play, a grin spreading across both of our faces. I walk back to the princess and offer my hand. "May I have this dance?"

"Certainly," She gladly accepts my hand, a small smile on her face. "You remembered," She whispers after a few moments of silence, apart from the song playing softly in the background. After I give her a quizzical look, she chuckles and points to the stereo. "The song,"

Realization dawns on me. I spin her around, a wide grin on my face. "Of course I remembered, sweetheart," I pull her back into me, holding her close against my body. The way her body feels pressed against mine, it just seems so…right. I quietly hum the tune, a smile appearing on my face when she joins in. The song comes to a close, but we stand here, holding each other for awhile longer. I lean in to kiss her, but she pulls away, a shriek escaping her. Suddenly, freezing cold rain pours down on us, soaking us completely. She twirls around, her long hair flying in all directions. I run towards her and scoop her up, making her laugh even harder.

"Put me down!" She pants, trying to contain her laughter. I reluctantly oblige, her feet landing softly on the roof pavement. She turns around and pulls me towards her, kissing me passionately, her hands gripping my hair. I return the kiss with equal passion, if not more, wrapping my arms around her small waist and pull her as close as possible. She deepens the kiss, lightly digging her fingernails into my shoulders. "I love you, Han," She murmurs against my lips, her sweet, warm breath blowing past my face. "Don't leave me," Leia pleads softly, tangling her fingers in my hair.

I shake my head furiously. "Never."

"Whatcha thinkin' about, Princess?" I ask her, taking her in my arms. She nuzzles my neck, still breathing heavily; we just had an intense session of lovemaking, and it made me realize how much I actually love her. I wish we could do it all day, forever; no war, nothing coming in between me and my girl.

"I'm not thinking about anything, to be honest," She admits, snuggling closer to me.

"You're lying," I chuckle, stroking her hair.

"Am not," She protests, shoving my shoulder.

"Are too,"

"Not," She rolls away from me, clutching the sheet tight against her body. "You're such a child, Han Solo,"

I laugh, and pull her against me once more. "Yeah, but you love me," I kiss her gently, stroking her back.

"I do, I really do…"


	21. Chapter 20: Leia

**Chapter Twenty **

**Leia**

"Han, wake up," I mumble, nuzzling his neck, drawing lazy circles on his chest with my finger. He mumbles something unintelligible in response, squirming in his sleep. "_Han_," I try again, running my fingers through his shaggy hair. "You need a trim," I mutter, an amused smile on my lips. After trying a couple more times, I sigh and roll out of bed, slipping my robe over my shoulders. Poor guy deserves some sleep, I suppose. He may not show it, but I know he's worrying like hell. For what, I don't know, but I'm worried, too, I'll admit.

I venture to the kitchen, in hopes of finding some food. I'm starving, since I barely ate last night. I find a pack kaffe in the cupboard. A good start, I guess. I check the rest of the cupboards and fridge, and there's nothing premade…I realize I'll have to resort to the one thing I'm absolutely horrible at; _cooking_. Gods, I wish Threepio was here to help me. Speaking of him, where the hell is he? It's been, what, three days? And no sight of him? Something's definitely wrong here, and the sooner the ship is fixed and we get back to the Alliance, the better.

"Mornin', sexy," Han rumbles suddenly from behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. He places light kisses down my jaw line and neck, stopping at my shoulder. "You know," He drawls, kissing my cheek, "I would have _loved _waking up next to you,"

"I tried waking you up," I reply sweetly, trying to hide the smirk that threatened to appear. "So it's just too bad for you, isn't it, Solo?" I turn around and place a quick yet gentle kiss on his lips, before ducking out of his embrace and heading towards the fridge. "And you should be happy," I add, pulling out the milk. "I'm cooking for you!"

"How should that make me happy?" He crows, throwing his head back and laughing.

"Don't tease!" I chide, flinging some batter in his direction. "Unless, of course, you don't mind skipping love-making today…" I can't hide the smirk this time. I laugh at his appalled reaction; he's so fun to tease. I turn to the cupboard and attempt to reach the top one, but my damned height makes it practically impossible. "At least help me out here,"

"Fine, Shorty," He grins lopsidedly, a glint of amusement and mischief in his hazel eyes. He easily reaches up and opens the cupboard, pulling out a bag of sugar, flour and baking powder.

"Don't call me that," I glare at him, accepting the three bags.

"I don't wanna get in a food fight like last time," He begins, leaning in and giving me a soft peck. "So just tell me when it's ready, okay?"

I sigh, my lips curving into a smile. I mock-salute the smuggler. "Yes, sir."

"Hey, Princess, why're ya gettin' all dolled up?" Han asks casually, leaning against the doorframe. He crosses his arms over his chest and watches in silence as I begin to braid my long hair.

"Since you gotta go to help Chewie, I figured I'd go out," I explained, deciding to leave my hair down. I really don't want him to go, to be honest; I want him all to myself today. Fine, I'll admit it, I'm selfish, but if my hunch is right, I want to spend as much time as possible with him, to compensate. I dab on some lipstick, then turn to Han. "How do I look?"

"Gorgeous," He gapes at me, making my complexion turn a very bright red. "I feel like I should come with you, now," Han rubs the back of his neck, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

I raise an eyebrow at the scoundrel. "And why is that?"

He shrugs and takes a seat on the daybed. "All the guys are gonna be comin' after you," He grins crookedly, my heart skipping a beat in response. "_Nice _men, I might add,"

"Well that's too bad for them," I offer him a loving smile. "I only like scoundrels,"

"Since when?" Han beams, crossing his ankles.

"I can't exactly put my finger on it," I wave my hand dismissively. "But I think it was when that _smuggler _decided he'd try to seduce me," I smirk, walking over to the closet.

In one swift movement, Han is off the daybed and pressing me up against the wall. "Admit it; you like it," He growls seductively, trailing his lips down my neck.

"Han," I try in a vain attempt to repress a moan as his lips cover mine in a fervent kiss. I feel my feet slowly lift off the ground as he picks me up and carries me over to the big, inviting bed. I kiss his neck as he works on unbuttoning my blouse, moans escaping the both of us. As he runs his hands up and down my legs, this blissful moment comes quickly to an end; the knock at the door pulls us out of our fantasy. I hear Chewbacca growl from the other side of the door, a blush creeping onto my cheeks.

"I'm coming, Chewie!" Solo turns back to me, an apologetic look on his handsome face. "Sorry, sweetheart," He kisses my forehead, looking slightly embarrassed. He still hasn't made a move to get off of me.

"You'd better get going," I whisper regretfully, tracing the scar on his chin with a feather-light touch. "Chewie sounds pretty mad," The Wookie proves my point by slamming his fists on the door, letting out an angry howl.

"You're right about that," Han leans in and places a lingering kiss on my lips. "Later, Princess, I promise," He winks, climbing off of me. He hesitates at the door. "Love you,"

I smile warmly at him, biting my lip. "Love you, too."

"Sweetheart, I'm back," Han whispers, climbing into bed next to me. He wraps his arms around my waist and nuzzles my neck, pulling me out of my sleep.

"What time is it?" I ask, still half-asleep.

He cranes his neck to check the chrono resting on the table. "1200," He answers, suddenly sounding exhausted. He climbs on top of me, his eyes boring into mine.

"You should get some sleep," I suggest, kissing his nose. "You've had a long day," I brush a few strands of hair from his forehead.

"Aren't you forgetting my promise?" He attacks my neck with open mouthed kisses.

"Since when do you keep your promises?" I ask shakily, struggling to keep my breathing even. I tangle my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer.

"For you, always," He replies seriously, staring straight into my eyes before fiercely kissing my lips. He kicks off his boots and removes his shirt, his mouth never leaving mine.

"Han," I gasp as he nibbles on my earlobe.

"Mm?"

"I need you," I blurt out, pulling his face towards mine. "I'm in love with you,"

"Me too, Leia," Gods, I love it when he says my name. "I've always been,"

"Then we're on the same page," I wrap my arms around his neck. "I was scared, Han,"

"I know, sweetheart," He gently kisses my lips. "I was, too,"

"I still am," I admit quietly. "I'm scared- no, _terrified_- of losing you," He kisses my hairline, urging me to go on. "Han, I-I'm completely in love with you," My voice cracks, my body racking with shudders. "And nothing can change that," After a few moments, he still hasn't responded. "Han? Answer, please,"

"Leia, promise me one thing," He practically begs, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Anything,"

"Promise me you'll always love me," He brushes a lock of hair from my cheek. "Because I sure as hell will always love you,"

I try to smile through the tears. I kiss him passionately, never wanting to let go. "I promise," I realize that I love him more than anything in the galaxy. I'm his forever. And he's mine. A huge grin spreads on my face. A princess, completely and utterly in love with a scoundrel. An unlikely pair, but _perfect_. That's what we are. _Perfection_.


	22. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Princess Leia paced the width of the room as she impatiently waited for Han to return. He had gone to check on how the repairs on the Falcon were doing, and he had been gone for quite some time. She had a bad feeling about Cloud City since the beginning, and she just simply couldn't shake the feeling. And she didn't trust Lando. Not one bit.

The princess turned at the sound of the door sliding open from behind her. Han swaggered in, his usual cocky smile on his face. "The ship's almost done; two or three more things and we're in great shape,"

Leia walked briskly up to him, concern and worry evident in her expression. "The sooner the better. Something's wrong here! No one has seen or heard _anything _about Threepio and he's been gone too long to have gotten lost-"

He cut her off with a gentle kiss on her forehead. Her expression softened slightly, and her shoulders relaxed under his touch. "Relax," He cupped her cheek. "I'll talk to Lando, see what I can find out,"

"I don't _trust _Lando!" The Alderaanian protested, taking a seat on the couch.

"Well _I _don't trust him, either," The smuggler countered, sitting next to Leia. "But he _is _my friend," He stared intensely into her beautiful brown eyes. "Besides," He added, lowering his voice, "We'll soon be gone,"

She cocked her head, giving him a small, ironic smile. "Then you're as good as gone, aren't you?" Solo looked down, refusing to meet the princess' accusing gaze. He reluctantly looked up, her eyes still on him. She saw the apology in his eyes. _I'm sorry, Princess. You know I have to._

_I know, Han. Just remember that I love you. _

_So do I, Princess. So do I._

Chewie walked in a few minutes later, interrupting Han and Leia's silent conversation. He roared sadly, carrying a box containing bits and pieces of the golden protocol droid. "What happened?" Leia gasped, jumping off the couch and running to Chewbacca's side. He kneeled down and placed the box on the kaffe table, a piece of Threepio in each paw. He growled quietly.

"Where?" Han's eyebrows furrowed, his jaw dropping. Chewbacca rumbled something Leia had trouble understanding. "You found him in a junk pile?" Solo repeated in disbelief.

"Oh, what a mess," The princess sighed. "Chewie, you think you can repair him?" He shrugged his massive shoulders and let out a loud howl.

"Lando's got people who can fix him," Han stated, resting his chin on his hand.

"No thanks," She replied coolly, fixing him with an icy stare.

Calrissian sauntered into their temporary residence. _Speak of the devil_, Leia thought bitterly. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting anything?" He asked politely.

"Not really," Organa responded, pulling her thin shimmersilk robe tighter around her body.

He grinned widely at the princess. "You look absolutely beautiful," She inwardly grimaced at the look of desire she caught in his dark eyes. "You truly belong here with us among the clouds,"

"Thank you," Leia said half-heartedly, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. Sparing Han a look, she noticed his evident disgust.

"Care to join us for refreshments?" Lando took a few steps toward the girl, extending his hand. As a second thought, he added, "Everyone's invited, of course,"

Han took it as his cue to put Lando in his place. Walking up beside his girl, he offered her his arm. She gladly accepted, feeling grateful for the reassurance.

"Having trouble with your droid?" Calrissian asked casually, glancing down at the box.

"No, no trouble at all," Han replied, perhaps too quickly. "Why?" He snapped, before walking off, with his princess in tow.

Leia watched in horror as the Imperials strapped Han to the scan grid. "Stop!" She yelled, but the Stormtroopers held her back. "Please, stop!" She cried as one trooper covered her mouth with his hand, pulling her towards his armoured chest. "Take me instead!" Tears streamed down her face, her mouth ajar against the trooper's gloved palm as she watched the Imps lower Han towards the grid. He screamed in pain, evoking sobs from the young princess. "Stop it!" She cried weakly, falling to the ground. Landing on her knees, she held her chest and cried for him. Silently praying to the gods, she sobbed, the Imperials seemingly oblivious to the echoing cries.

The Stormtroopers dragged the princess to the prison cell, roughly shoving her through the door. Chewbacca looked up at her with his big blue eyes and howled, gesturing to Han, who was lying on the hard cot. She recovered immediately from her shock, kneeling beside her lover. Stroking his shaggy hair, she murmured, "Why are they doing this?" His shallow breaths unnerved the young woman.

"They never even asked me any questions," He breathed, shifting on the cot, cringing in pain. She mimicked him from earlier and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, his muscles relaxing.

The door slid open, surprising the three of them. In walked Calrissian, closely followed by two guards. "Lando," Leia informed Solo softly, helping him sit up.

Chewie growled angrily at the man, Solo's lips twisting into a scowl. "Get outta here, Lando," He snarled.

"Shut up and listen," Lando commanded. "Vader's agreed to turn Leia and Chewie over to me. They'll have to stay here, but at least they'll be safe,"

"What about Han?" Leia asked shakily, rubbing her lover's shoulders.

"Vader's given him to the bounty hunter,"

"Vader wants us all _dead_-"

"He doesn't want you at all!" Calrissian shouted. "He's after somebody called, uh, Skywalker!"

"Luke," Han breathed, his anger instantly replaced with worry.

"Lord Vader's set a trap for him!"

"And we're the bait!" Leia realized, her eyes widening.

"Yeah, well, he's on his way," Lando declared.

"Perfect," Han deadpanned, slowly getting up off the cot. "You fixed us up real good, didn't you?" Lando avoided Solo's death stare. "My friend-" The pilot broke off his sentence as his fist interlocked with Calrissian's nose. A cracking sound followed, the guards immediately pushing Han to the ground.

"Stop!" Lando demanded as the guards were about to hit the Corellian. Leia rushed to his side, checking his exposed skin for any cuts or bruises. Chewbacca howled loudly, making the humans' ears ring. "I've done all I can," The businessman declared, throwing his cape over his broad shoulders. "Sorry I couldn't have done better, but I got my own problems,"

"Yeah," Han's breaths came in short gasps. Leaning on his elbow, he grumbled, "You're a real hero," Lando and the guards exited the room, leaving Han, Leia and Chewbacca alone once again.

A faint smile graced Leia's pretty face. Shaking her head, she chuckled, "You certainly have a way with people." Circling to the other side of the smuggler, her and Chewbacca helped him up, and silently hoped things would work out.

"If only you'd attached my legs, I wouldn't be in this ridiculous position!" Threepio complained, waving his metallic arms. Attached to the Wookie's back, it was a sight to be seen. Leia would have laughed and enjoyed it, if they weren't in their current predicament.

"What's goin' on…_buddy_?" Han spat bitterly in Lando's ear.

"You're being put into carbon freeze," Lando replied emotionlessly.

"What if he doesn't survive?" Boba Fett's metallic voice demanded from across the room. "He's worth a lot to me,"

"The Empire will compensate you if he dies," Vader assured him. Gesturing to the carbon freeze, he yelled the three words Leia wished she couldn't hear; "Put him in!" Chewbacca howled in protest as Stormtroopers came from behind him. He easily slapped them away, sending them into the pit below.

"Chewie!" Han barked. "Chewie, stop, _stop_!" Chewbacca pretended to ignore his best friend's shouts. "Hey, hey! Listen to me, Chewie," Solo's hazel eyes got misty. "Chewie, this won't help me!" The Wookie growled in response as the Stormtrooper's hooked his paws behind him. "Save your strength; there will be another time," He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. "The princess…_you_ have to take care of her. You hear me?" The two friends stared each other in the eyes for a long moment. Chewbacca quietly roared in acknowledgement.

Han and Leia turned to look at each other. A thousand thoughts passed through the lovers in one short moment, all the memories of the past month flying through their minds.

_Han, be strong._

_You, too._

_I'll try._

_Leia, you're the strongest woman I know. It's why I fell in love with you._

_Han, don't do this to me. Not now. Like you said…there will be another time._

He crushed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. They savoured it, knowing it could quite possibly be their last moment together. The Stormtroopers cut the kiss short, tugging Han to the carbon freezing platform. Leia desperately look into Han's eyes, a cold feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.

"I love you!" She declared, her heart and soul pouring out in those mere three words. She would always be in love with him, she knew. Forever and always.

"I know."

And that sole time, she accepted his response. For she knew he loved her, too, and that he would never replace her.

**THE END**


End file.
